Some Things you can't Leave Behind
by Pallet and Cerulean
Summary: What if Owen was a little more insistent when he said he wouldn't leave Claire after she was hurt by the Indoraptor? Alternate Scene Fallen Kingdom Spoilers


Everything seemed to move so quickly, time keeping pace with the frantic beat of Claire's heart. In the blink of an eye, Maisie was on her feet and bolting down the hall. Both to Claire's relief and horror, the Indoraptor snarled and scrambled away from them and after the girl. With its teeth bared and claws scrabbling against the polished wood, the monstrous hybrid tore down the hall with frightening speed. Scratching, crashing, and horrible growls echoed off the walls, mingling with the rain and thunder in a haunting cacophony.

In just a short moment, though, only a few seconds ticking by, everything was eerily quiet. Maisie, with the Indoraptor ripping after her, disappeared around a corner and into the maze of corridors. Even with the Indoraptor gone, at least for the moment, panic still surged in Claire's veins. She was pinned beneath the weight of one of the exhibit's fallen trees and, despite her best attempts, couldn't work her way out. And the way pain shot up her leg with every movement wasn't helping matters in the slightest.

Wide eyes turning down to the deep puncture in her leg, Claire's heart leapt into her throat at what she saw. Blood was already staining her pants a violent shade of crimson, spreading out in a wider splotch as it soaked through the fabric. The raw flesh was torn with far too much precision for a dinosaur and the sight made her sick, or more so than she already was. The realization struck Claire that the Indoraptor truly was the perfect weapon. It was fast, lethal, and incredibly accurate. Where most dinosaurs would brutally hack and slash at their prey, tearing them to pieces with jagged gashes and torn bites, the Indoraptor left neat, clean marks with astonishing precision. Claire was just lucky its razor sharp claws sunk into her leg and not her neck.

Shaken from her daze, Claire pulled in a deep breath when she finally felt the pinning weight of the tree start to roll off her legs. Taking one quick glance up, she saw Owen's hurried attempts to free her from beneath the fake tree before making his way to her side. Chest feeling too tight with panic, Claire's attention drifted back to the bloodied gash on her leg, fixating on the blood that welled up and spilled from the nasty wound. She'd never had an injury like that before, and it terrified her. Sure, she'd gotten some cuts and scrapes on occasion, and even broke a bone or two as a kid, but it was never anything serious. Even three years ago, scarcely avoiding getting caught by the furious Indominus Rex, she made it out with only some ugly bruises and awful blisters from her heels. Now, watching her own blood pool in the gash and run down the sides of her thigh, white hot, searing pain pulsing out from the puncture, she was petrified.

Owen's voice sounded muddied and muffled beneath the blood pounding in her ears. "You're okay," he murmured, kneeling down by her side. She vaguely registered him pulling something from his pocket before he was pressing a cloth to the bleeding wound, trying to stop the flow. Sucking in a sharp breath, Claire choked down the groan of pain that tried to escape her throat. While the logical part of her mind knew she had to stop the bleeding, her hands itched with the urge to tear the cloth away. The rough fabric stung against her raw flesh, like rubbing salt in the wound.

"Put pressure on it," Owen instructed, though he made no move to take his hand away. Still, with fear clawing at her lungs, threatening to suffocate her, it was hard to focus on his words. Pulling in heavy breaths, Claire tried to calm to frantic beat of her heart, the air hungry ache in her lungs. "Don't look at it," Owen said, voice firmer this time. "Look at me."

Prying her gaze away from the puncture, Claire forced her attention onto Owen. His bright, worried eyes caught hers, willing her to stay with him and not retreat back into her frantic thoughts. "Look at me," Owen coaxed, softening his tone. Blowing out a breath, Claire forced herself to calm the panic and adrenaline rushing through her veins. Instead, she focused on Owen, the sound of his voice, the touch of his hands, the look in his eyes. Though, in her relief that he was here, by her side, the memory that Maisie wasn't hit her hard.

"You have to go find her," Claire insisted, thoughts turning back to the way the Indoraptor has viciously stalked after the girl. Even though, whether she'd like to admit it or not, Claire wanted Owen to stay with her, to reassure her and protect her, she knew she could handle herself. Maisie, on the other hand, was still just a kid.

"I can't leave you here," Owen replied, desperation slipping into his voice. It hurt Claire's heart to hear that. She'd pushed him away, just like she always had, and this time, he finally fought her on it. The time when it really mattered, when Maisie's life was at stake, was the only time he wouldn't leave her.

Claire loved him. She'd always loved him, but now, he really needed to go. Unlike every other time, though, she'd be waiting for him when he got back.

Something stirred in her heart, a fiery, impulsive heat, and in an instant, her lips were on his. Her hands found their way to his neck, fingers buried in the soft hair at the base of his skull. Despite the dirt and sweat and grime, Claire pulled him closer, nerves aching with the desire to touch him. And Owen, even after three years apart, responded with just as much affection as he had when they were together. A short sigh of relief slipped past her lips. Kissing him still felt just as good, just as right, as it had before.

Though, despite her desires to just relish this moment, to forget the world and fall into his kiss, Claire knew this wasn't the time. Fighting her instincts, she pulled back a few inches, a new kind of adrenaline rushing through her veins. Her hands stayed softly on his neck though, unwilling to come apart from the warm skin beneath her fingertips. It was a nice reminder that he was there, with her, and still alive.

"Now there's no way I can go," Owen breathed, voice dropping low. There was a gravelly edge in his voice, a darkness in his eyes, and Claire couldn't tell if it was desire or concern for her that brought on the subtle shift.

"Owen," Claire murmured, pleading with him, both to stay and to go. She was hurt, scared, and selfish, and something fractured in her heart every time she watched Owen turn his back and leave her. At the same time, Maisie's safety weighed heavily on her mind. She needed help and Owen was the only one who could be there for. Claire could never live with herself if Maisie was hurt or even worse because she had been selfish and asked Owen to stay.

"I left you once, Claire," Owen said quietly, something like regret or guilt in his tone. Her mind flashed back to yelling and slamming doors, to watching Owen's license plate disappear around a bend in the road while she set her jaw and blinked back against the burning in her eyes. Painful memories of lonely nights, of too many drinks, and finally, of burying herself beneath a mountain of work all came rushing back. "I'm never making that mistake again," Owen said resolutely, and the look in his eyes said he meant it.

Despite the dark and bleak situation, despite the blood spilling from her leg and the dinosaurs roaming the mansion, Claire found a quiet smile on her lips. That was exactly what she had needed to hear for three years. But, the brief, fragile moment of happiness was shattered when the Indoraptor's ominous roar echoed through the hall, combining with a crack of lightning, making Claire's heart lurch in her chest.

Her eyes met Owen's, worry swirling in the rich color. After a beat, though, his expression switched, hardening and turning more thoughtful. "Do you think you can walk?" Owen asked, and suddenly, personal relationships were on pushed aside and they were back to survival.

"Yeah, I think so," Claire answered. Pain throbbed through her leg, worsening with every move, but she could bear it. Besides, it wasn't as if there were really any other options. If she stayed put, she was dooming Maisie, and probably herself and Owen too. Stationary, sitting people were easy targets for scared and angry dinosaurs.

"Good," Owen said, gently pulling up the cloth he had been using to staunch the bleeding. Giving the cut a quick check, he was glad to see the bleeding had slowed substantially, though he guessed that would change as soon as Claire stood up and tried to walk on the leg. Though his mind had mostly switched over to survival mode, he couldn't help but feel for Claire. While the gash wasn't too long, it went deep into the muscle, just a few inches above her knee. It must of hurt far more than she was letting on, and though he felt a bit guilty for letting her get hurt on his watch, he was amazed by how strong she was. With an injury like that, most people would be crying in pain, but not Claire. Instead, she was more concerned with Maisie's safety than her own. She was stronger than he would ever be, and he was proud of her.

After making sure the cut was clean enough to be bandaged, that he wouldn't be pushing any debris deeper into the wound, Owen unfolded the bloodied cloth. Carefully propping Claire's leg up and apologizing when her heard her sharp inhale, Owen wrapped the makeshift bandage around her leg and tied it off tightly. He wanted to keep as much pressure on it as he could to keep the bleeding to a minimum, but even then, the amount of blood Claire had lost was already worrying him. But, they couldn't stop and rest just yet, so his quick fix would have to do.

After he made sure the bandage was secure, Owen got to his feet. Bending down to Claire's level, he draped one of her arms around his shoulder. Winding an arm around her waist, he steadied his grip before turning to meet her gaze. "Ready?" Owen asked. After a beat, Claire swallowed and gritted her teeth, bracing herself, and gave Owen a short nod.

As quickly and gently as he could, Owen pulled Claire up to her feet, shouldering the brunt of her weight. Even with his support, she swore under her breath as a new shock of pain burned up and down her leg. Her fingers dug into Owen's shoulder, fighting to keep her grip and stay on her feet when her injured leg threatened to give out beneath her. Though, after a moment of short, harsh breaths and biting her lip to keep from crying out, the pain subsided a bit. It was still nasty and sharp, but manageable.

Claire took a few stumbling steps forward, leaning heavily against Owen's side, before she found her stride. Hurrying, as fast as they could go with Claire's bad leg, she and Owen made their way down the hall and toward the sound of the Indoraptor's distinctive, hissing roar. Booming thunder echoed across the mansion and they picked up the pace, turning the corner and drawing nearer to haunting snarls of the Indoraptor. It was unnerving and her heart beat faster with every step, but Claire just hoped they weren't too late.


End file.
